1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. NKJV

Paul has spent his entire time in this epistle or letter thus far rebuking and reprimanding the Corinthian believers for their disputes and divisions among them caused by their envying one another and their quarreling with one another which led to many deliberately doing wrong to one another. The believers were even brought to the point and place where they began to short-change, swindle, and even were scamming one another so much so that they were bringing lawsuits against their brethren in the courts of the unbelievers, thereby ruining their testimonies before the unbelievers and bringing shame upon themselves and reproach to the Name of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. They even accepted one in their midst who was practicing an ungodly, unhallowed, and unholy sexual lifestyle without repenting of that immoral behavior and being forgiven and cleansed by our Lord Jesus Christ. The other members of the Corinthian fellowship were boasting and living arrogantly while their fellowship was defiled and corrupt before God the Father.

Paul now immediately reminds them of the Judgment of God that is to come upon the unrepentant sinners in this world to again “awaken them out of their spiritual sleep” that they would exemplify a lifestyle worthy of the high-calling “in Christ” (Ephesians 4:1) they have been called to, therefore, Paul says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Paul uses the English word “unrighteous” which is translated from the Greek word adikos which means the unjust or by extension the wicked or by implication the treacherous, specifically heathen or more simply any person that does not acknowledge the One True God Jesus Christ with their lives. Paul ask them this question because their lives were not being conformed into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, but instead they did not display or exhibit or show or make apparent or make visible in their daily lives that they had been transformed by the Power of God, but instead they were making visible a pagan, unjust, or unrighteous lifestyle and Paul wanted to remind them that these people who bear the fruit of verses 9 and 10 will be excluded from the kingdom of God forever.

Paul then pleads with them to “Be not deceived” and the English word “deceived” is translated from the Greek word planao which means to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way, to go astray, wander, roam; metaphorically to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive, to be led into error, to be led aside from the path of virtue, to go astray, to sin, to sever or fall away from the truth; to become a heretic and be led away into error and sin. Paul wanted to remind them that God the Father is a loving God and a Merciful God, but He is likewise a Just God that will not change His View of unrepentant sin and unrepentant sinners. Paul sees them going astray either on their own accord or they are being miss-lead by others who are heretics proclaiming to them a false gospel or easy believism that denies repentance of sin and turns the “grace of God” into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4).

Paul made similar reminders to the Ephesian believers with these words, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:1-10).

Paul likewise made it very clear to the Colossian believers with these words, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them” (Colossians 3:1-7).

“He puts it to them as a plain truth, of which they could not be ignorant, that such sinners should not inherit the kingdom of God. The meanest among them must know thus much, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9), shall not be owned as true members of His Church on earth, nor admitted as glorious members of the church in heaven. All unrighteousness is sin; and all reigning sin, nay, every actual sin committed deliberately, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven. He specifies several sorts of sins: against the first and second commandments, as idolaters; against the seventh, as adulterers, fornicators, effeminate, and Sodomites; against the eighth, as thieves and extortioners, that by force or fraud wrong their neighbours; against the ninth, as revilers; and against the tenth, as covetous and drunkards, as those who are in a fair way to break all the rest. Those who knew anything of religion must know that heaven could never be intended for these. The scum of the earth are no ways fit to fill the heavenly mansions. Those who do the devil’s work can never receive God’s wages, at least no other than death, the just wages of sin, Romans 6:23.” Matthew Henry

“If we remember the heart of the Apostle Paul when he spoke of his brethren (Israel) in the flesh with the words in Romans 9:1-8, then we can better understand why he was led by God the Holy Spirit to place this firm and stern reminder at this point in his epistle or letter to these believers in Corinth praying that they were all genuine born again sons and daughters and not destined for eternal separation from God the Father in hell.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

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